Melinda French Gates has spoken publicly about the personal toll of new Epstein-related allegations involving her ex-husband. Speaking to NPR’s Wild Card podcast, she said the latest disclosures stirred up difficult moments from her 27-year relationship with Bill Gates, whom she divorced in 2021.
“It’s personally hard whenever those details come up,” she said. “Because it brings back memories of some very painful times in my marriage.”
She added that she has since moved on and feels relieved to have distance from that chapter of her life, stating she is now “so happy to be away from all the muck that was there.”
The comments came after a new batch of Epstein-related files was released last week. Among these documents is a 2013 claim in which Epstein alleged Gates had asked advisers for medication to treat sexually transmitted diseases related to “consequences of sex with Russian girls.”
Epstein reportedly suggested Gates wanted to give the antibiotics to his then-wife without her knowledge.
A spokesperson for Bill Gates strongly denied the allegations, calling them “completely false” and suggesting they were attempts by Epstein to “entrap and defame” prominent associates.